Sprint to announce 'groundbreaking new device' (HTC Supersonic?) tomorrow
Sprint Premier customers are being treated to a rather tantalizing account alert tonight: "Visit us tomorrow for an exciting announcement about a groundbreaking new device." No other details provided, but if we had to make an educated guess, we'd say all signs are pointing towards HTC's Supersonic, the long-rumored WiMAX smartphone with a 4.3-inch screen and Android 2.1 with Sense UI. A 4G device would certainly fit the billing as "groundbreaking," and we've already heard of plans to unveil the phone at CTIA, which officially kicks off tomorrow. A web chat transcript found on the Sprint Community seems to corroborate, but we can't at this point verify the validity of the screen capture. You can view the entirety of the purported web chat after the break. If we do wake up tomorrow to a shiny, large-screened WiMAX phone, care to take bets on what Sprint CEO Dan Hesse is gonna talk up in his Wednesday keynote?
[Thanks, Jackson R and Aggrey J]
[Thanks, Jackson R and Aggrey J]
























SCORE!
The Supersonic is the start of a new breed of phones. It's a true superphone which will make even a NexusOne or Incredible seem ordinary! Be prepared for surprises, such as mini-hmdi out rather than just ext-microusb, 8mp camera on the rear with 720p video recording, as well as a front facing camera for skyping with help of the kickstand.
SUPERSONIC SUPERPHONE FTW!!!
@iHakr
hopefully it comes out sooner than May
Very well planned strategic timing for the announcement. They move it up tp the day before the official release of the HD2 on T-Mo.
Sa..sa...sa..SUPERSONIC!
@iHakr Well lets hope it does not cost too much without a contract (Just got a Hero for Christmas) and there better not be any more charges for a WiMax plan like on their network cards.
@iHakr
I was going to buy the HD2 in a few days. But this is the same thing with Android??? might hold off.
@supersonicfanboi people have been saying shit like 'new breed of smartphone' since the g1 came out. scratch that, since the HTC Touch Pro came out. The only phone that's even remotely held up to the hype is the Droid.
Get a grip people. It's not going to change the world. At least, as long as it stays on Sprint.
@iHakr I agree. Might be putting the Sprint Hero up on Ebay if we can get the Supersonic for under 450 off contract. Had mine since November, love it... but if we can sell them for even 300 off contract, that's a decent deal.
@aniym
"Get a grip people. It's not going to change the world. At least, as long as it stays on Sprint."
I don't expect it to change the world in the sense that billions of people will have one like the iphone, but that doesn't mean it isn't a new breed of smartphone. The specs are a major leap over anything out there, and it makes the droid look like a child's toy.
4.3" screen while being thinner than an iphone, android 2.1 with sense including a media player on par with the iphone's, 4g speeds, 8mp camera with 720p video, front facing camera for video chat, mini-hdmi output for skyping on a tv screen or outputting video.
That qualifies this as a superphone. There's no argument about it.
@supersonicfanboi FTW for a phone. Really.
@JimmyBoy
Is that not what people say these days? Translation to me is "YAAAAAY!!!" in a giddy immature tech nerd excited internet voice, make more sense now?
@InternetExplorer
"ever seen a good game on android? what about media player?
didnt think so"
Search for videos of htc sense on android 2.1 which has been released on the htc desire. HTC has made a media player that is on par with the iphone's, including a coverflow type of interface, integration with the lock screen and seamless ability to run while using other apps.
Your argument is outdated.
@InternetExplorer
"i dont give a fu** what bloated widget htc made. it doesnt compare to windows phone 7 series and the zune player. you have to be some ridiculous android fanboy to think that"
Your argument was that android doesn't have a decent media player, and I'm informing you that htc has replaced the stock player with their own, which can be used as a widget or a stand alone program btw, and that is much more functional and more visually appealing than the stock android player. Whether it's bloated or not, you don't know, and the Supersonic's specs can handle even a very bloated media player with ease... End of story.
I haven't used a zune, nor do I ever plan to, and I laugh every time I see a wp7series screenshot or interface video because the UI is so stripped down with big text going off the right edge of the screen, and the "start experience" is just a long vertical grid of unimaginative shortcut tiles with minimal functionality. IMHO it's a joke and I can't see why anyone would want to use it.
I have used winmo since my first smartphone and actually enjoyed it because it was so functional, and MS has thrown away everything I actually liked about it and have stripped it and dumbed it down to the point that it's going to take years of development for it to become fully functional again. Android was the same way when it first began, and it's now the best mobile OS available in terms of functionality as well as visual appeal, so have fun with MS, and I will enjoy the Supersonic. Goodbye.
@InternetExplorer Well, judging from your name, you're obviously an MS fanboy so your opinion isn't exactly unbiased on this topic. In fact the fact that you like internet explorer enough to use that as your screen names immediately strips you of all credibility. I'm excited about 7 series as well but that has nothing to do with this.
@supersonicfanboi LOL. I guess... and I'm down with the giddy immature tech nerd excited internet voice thing, still think the FTW thing is a little.. odd.
And I've been waiting on the HD2 for so long too. I guess there's no point in getting that when there's a 4G version around as well, huh?
Hang on, does being on Sprint mean no GSM for rest of world?
@supersonicfanboi
Please give valid links to anything stating a 8MP camera with 720p and a front facing camera. As of recently, It's just a 1 GHz Snapdragon with a 5MP and no front facing camera. I'm not saying its crap. Far from it. I just don't think you should go spouting off specs that aren't true.
@fr3z3rburn
Follow the discussion here:
http://androidforums.com/htc-supersonic/54768-official-htc-supersonic-wimax-thread.html
There is info there which came from an official internal spec sheet. It hasn't been on any major blog sites though.
@supersonicfanboi If you were lucky enough to see this video before it got removed, it is clear that this phone IS the Incredible, but with a red earpiece. It is clear it has an optical trackpad, something the Supersonic doesn't have. Reactions: http://bit.ly/sonic-phone-by-htc-impressions
@Almo Not necessarily, The TP2 has Gsm and CDMA bands and can be used anywhere in the world when not on sprint service, so it'd be cool to have an android phone with that same feature, but it'll prob cost more because of it.
@supersonicfanboi not seamless. but it works. this morning like others im at the gym listening to music on my hero but if an email or a text is coming in, i know about 30 seconds prior due to the music skipping.
Maybe they are finally releasing a HTC Hero with Android 2.1!! :( ...Argh!
@supersonicfanboi Lol, doesn't compare to WinMo7? An OS that isn't actually running yet? Just you wait until iPhone OS 6.0 comes out, it will blow PalmOS out of the water.
@iHakr
I have made my offerings to the gods - begging for this phone to eligible on SERO. I know there is zero chance but man that would be totally sweet.
Holy cow!
I find it interesting/surprising that Sprint would be so upfront about answering that question,
Still disappointed that the Supersonic is coming out on Sprint. Probably means that it'll come out on Bell in Canada. Damn.
@parabola "What we have here is a failure to communicate." The "Sprint Specialist" (lol) is clearly not a native speaker given the Engrish grammer he/she uses. I think that though customer asked specifically if the Supersonic is being announced, the rep's poor grasp of the language makes him think he's simply asking if there is a new phone being announced tomorrow, and he is answering yes.
@parabola
I was the one who posted the original message on the Sprint message boards: http://community.sprint.com/baw/thread/26464?start=1044
I'm glad engadget wrote "we can't at this point verify the validity of the screen capture." :) I was really careful to blur out all names and delete the exif data before uploading. BUT, I'm telling you that this IS real. I've been asking about once a week fort he last month, and this was the first time an agent confirmed anything (you can see how polite I'm trying to be).
Anyway, I like a lot of people here, can't wait to get my hands on this phone. If you look at me history over at the Sprint community, I've been pretty pissed/disappointed for a long time at their phone selection.
@bendispo I too have tried to be as pleasant and patient w/ Sprint for numerous errors and lack of devices for choosing on upgrade. Each conversation I've had over the last few months w/ Sprint regarding upgrades and such has been an informative event. However, that hasn't remedied the situation considering service factors I've experienced. The fact that other carriers have been touting well reviewed phones, as well as the expanded market and selection of devices has left me to wonder if my carrier is even capable of staying in competition. We'll see tomorrow.
@bendispo
I call BS. You said, "I've been asking about once a week fort he last month..." Yet according to the chat transcript, when the CS asked for your pin, you didn't have a clue what a pin was! You asked the CS "umm... is my pin my account password?" If you HAD been inquiring once a week for the last month, you certainly would be familiar with your pin!
Therefore, either the information about the release is a lie, or your claim that you have been asking weekly for a month is. Well, I guess both could be lies!
OMG tommorrow W00t H4x0rz FTW
Dude!
@SomethingInMyFrontPocket
*wanting username to be Darth Vader.*
DOWNRANK HIM!
@SomethingInMyFrontPocket Customer service or signal? Have you even used sprint recently?
I mean seriously, they have the best full featured plans for less... I'm so sick of this dumb "Sprint = bad service" stereotype... its just not true anymore.
In conlusion, down with your rank.
@brokensticks oops... sorry replied to the wrong post... dang it!
@SomethingInMyFrontPocket
Lol all I said was "Dude!" Is this a problem?
too bad sprint service SUCKS
*wanting username to be Darth Vader.*
DOWNRANK HIM!
@harajuka
Sprint's service is actually pretty good. Yes I have Sprint making this a knowledgeable post, not one based on opinion or bias.
Can't wait for tomorrow :)
@harajuka sprint's is better than AT&Ts and T-MO
@Alexpeegs i meant coverage.
Y CAN'T I EDIT MY COMMENT :(
@Alexpeegs
Sprint Mobile Broadband Network has twice the network coverage of AT&T and ten times the network coverage of T-Mobile, both by square miles.
Truly this will be the thing that brings Sprint back to it's rightful place as the number 1 carrier in America.
Crowds have been spontaneously forming groups all around America, shouting in unison "SUPERSONIC", and then immediately dissolving back into the populous. They people never saw it coming. They never realized that this virus was about to envelope the country and soon the entire world. After the world it would conquer the space station, and eventually the virus would infect the sun, causing the destruction of the solar system and all human life in the Universe as we know it.
We remember March 24 as the beginning of the end of humanity.
@Joe the Plumber Tomorrow is March 23...
@Dogcowsaysmoof
Yes! That was the day before March 24th. We remember March 23 as the day before the beginning of the end of humanity.
(My boy Dan speaks on the 24th)
@Dogcowsaysmoof LOL EPIC PHAIL
@Joe the Plumber
He may be on the other side of the international date line! LOL.
@Joe the Plumber
I really hope Sprint doesn't become the #1 carrier in the U.S. I used to have Sprint back when it was the no. 1 carrier and the service and prices were horrible, which is why I left Sprint, for the more enticing Cingular, which is now enveloped by AT&T, which now sucks. The problem is that when a company gets too big for it's own good, it starts to nickel and dime it's customers and doesn't value them. Which is why both Verizon and AT&T prices are significantly higher than Sprint and some T-Mobile plans for comparable services.
The only reason Sprint is great to their customers and has better prices now is because it started going down the toilet and had to VALUE it's customers and stop their big company, leech tactics. While I hope Sprint does better than it currently is, I hope it doesn't become #1 because I don't want it to be what it once was. I hope they have to keep working to get new customers and now sit back while raking in dough off over-priced plans and phones. I'm leaving AT&T as soon as my contract is up and switching to Sprint for their better prices and service, and this phone and others will be much more enticing.
Depending on how WP7 turns out (not based on current speculations), I'm likely to get a WP7 handset on Sprint, hopefully with a 4.3" screen. If WP7 isn't exactly what I want, then I'll be going the Android route with a phone similar to the Supersonic. I'm tired of numerous dropped calls and horrid pricing with my crappy iPhone on AT&Crap.
@Joe the Plumber
P.S. unless your name is actually Joe and you actually are a Plumber, why in the world would you want to go by that handle?!